K to the Pacific Northwest, a virtual series of K-Treks this term, will begin with K to Nike from 3 to 4:30 p.m. this Thursday. All students are welcome to register through Handshake to network with alumni and get to know what it takes to succeed at a global company.
More students than usual will have a chance to participate in three K-Treks this term that will help them network with Kalamazoo College alumni and get to know what it takes to work at global companies such as Nike, Amazon and Starbucks.
K-Treks, offered through the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD), are traditionally career-immersion experiences in which students travel to explore jobs of interest. With virtual experiences this term, cost is not a factor in determining how many students can attend. A more expansive group can be included with all benefiting from enriching opportunities to make meaningful professional connections and get a feel for professional life at a specific business.
The events, collectively called K to the Pacific Northwest this term, begin with K to Nike from 3 to 4:30 p.m. this Thursday. K to Amazon, scheduled for 7:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, February 11; and K to Starbucks, slated for Thursday, March 4, also are available.
“We tell students that the best path to landing a job or an internship is through one’s network.” CCPD Assistant Director for External Relations Valerie Miller said. “Recruiters might sift through hundreds of resumes for a single job posting, but someone in your network can open doors to unknown companies and opportunities. Even virtually, you can’t beat an opportunity to meet K alumni and expand your network.”
Students may sign up for any or all three of the experiences through Handshake at any time before that event begins. The Kalamazoo College Sport Business Club inspired K to Nike, although any student, regardless of their major, would benefit from attending. K to Nike, for example, will feature five alumni, none of whom majored in business. They are:
Christina Dennaoui ’06, a Service and Experience Design department employee, who majored in religion at K;
Peter Erdahl ’13, a political science major who works with apparel products;
Tobin Ernst ’02, a history major involved in risk management;
Tieneke van Lonkhuyzen ’06, a political science major, who represents sustainability;
Karl Wasmuth ’09, a political science major, who works in government and public affairs.
“Students will learn about the career paths of these successful alumni, what they like about they do, and how they use what they learned at K in their work,” Miller said. “After a panel event with all alumni, students can drop into a breakout session with one of the alums to go deeper and learn about specific career paths.”
Many might think of shoes when they hear the name Nike because the company grew with its founders— including then-University of Oregon track and field coach Bill Bowerman and one of his former students, Phil Knight — when they signed Steve Prefontaine, a young Olympic distance runner, to a footwear-endorsement deal in 1972. Yet the company’s story is much more of a marathon than a sprint as today, nearly 50 years later, it seeks to bring innovation to every athlete through apparel, equipment, accessories and services available for any sport.
“Nike has a unique culture, and they have the most amazing campus,” Miller said. “It’s filled with every sport imaginable. I don’t know many employers that have a swimming pool, basketball courts, athletic fields, running trails and more. In fact, Nike was named one of the happiest companies to work for in 2018. K to Nike is a rare opportunity for a student to learn how to say, ‘hey, look at me,’ to a Nike recruiter.”
Learn more about this term’s K-Treks at the CCPD website.
Stella Young ’22 was one of five juniors to earn internships this fall through the Center for Career and Professional Development as study abroad was put on hold.
Stella Young, a junior political science major, was just one of the Kalamazoo College students who had planned to study abroad during the 2020-21 academic year. When the pandemic threw a wrench into those plans, she was disappointed.
“Study abroad was one of my deciding factors in coming to K,” she said. “I was supposed to go to Madrid for six months.”
Regardless, K’s Center for Career and Professional Development, along with faculty and staff from around campus, provided a thoughtful alternative. Collectively, they developed a series of internships for 20 juniors, including five who worked through CCPD Assistant Director for External Relations Valerie Miller, giving them practical career experience in addition to a credit-granting class.
“I think the students had phenomenal experiences typical of internships,” Miller said. “They didn’t know what to expect and they had some doubts going in. Then they developed some skills and started to understand the work environment better. By the end, each one of them seemed to feel pretty confident about what they accomplished.”
Alumni Connections Critical
According to Miller, alumni were key in setting up the internships her cohort of students wanted. Young, for example, worked with Rock the Vote, a nonpartisan and nonprofit organization that encourages young adults to participate in the election process, which is led by Carolyn DeWitt ’04.
“I wanted to go on study abroad to meet new people and make new connections,” Young said. “I think I did that with this program.”
Young became a valuable asset to her 15 internship colleagues from across the country as she worked on several projects, including one that helped Iowa voters understand issues and where candidates stood on them in Senate races.
“I hopped on projects as staff members needed help,” she said. “I did a lot of research and data entry leading up to the election, and after, I worked with voters who had questions about results. I knew going into this I wanted to work with a nonprofit and this was an opportunity to put what I’ve been learning in the classroom into action. I hope to stay involved as a volunteer because they’re doing really important work.”
Navigating Health Care
Aramide Apo-Oyin ’22, however, independently found her internship serving heart-failure patients through Aurora Advocate Health in Chicago, via a nonprofit patient-support program offered through its hospital.
“The program is basically a volunteer initiative that helps patients and their families navigate the health care system,” she said, adding she commonly helped patients schedule follow-up care, understand their dietary needs and seek the exercise and activity they needed. “It provides them with the literacy they need, and helps navigate any barriers to their care.”
Apo-Oyin noted the program didn’t necessarily have a specific target audience, but it’s easy to spot trends in the health care system when working with people from many backgrounds.
“So even though we don’t say we’re only helping people who have the fewest resources, we often find they’re the people who need our help the most due to language barriers with their care team in the hospital, being uninsured and not knowing how to enroll into government assistance programs like Medicaid or Medicare, and not having a support system at home to help with transportation to appointments and overall support.”
As a result, the transition support program Apo-Oyin represented commonly assisted people without insurance or those who needed more support than just immediate care.
“We have connections and the relationships that can really help us to assist the communities that need our help. This program is about helping the patients heal and live with their diagnosis. I feel like that happens with more than just the medicine and the procedures doctors do. That’s our role and that’s why I chose to go into it.”
A Happy Ending
In moving forward, both students credited the campus partners for creating programs that tied well with their career goals while developing experiences that made their fall term valuable despite the absence of study abroad.
“I definitely want to use these services more in the future,” Young said of Miller and the CCPD. “She was great in finding a position that I really wanted. I would definitely recommend that people go to the CCPD when they want some off-campus experience—it helped broaden our horizons.”CCP
Natalie Barber ’22 was among the 20 juniors who missed out on study abroad this fall because of the pandemic. Instead, she worked in one of the environmental internships made available at the Kalamazoo River Watershed Council. In that position, she researched fresh water mussels like these.
An additional group of students, whose interests could be connected with environmental opportunities, worked with the Center for Environmental Stewardship and Director Sara Stockwood.
“I think it’s been a valuable experience for everyone, even if they didn’t go on study abroad,” Stockwood said of the students who worked for organizations such as the Kalamazoo Watershed Council, the Michigan Lakes and Streams Association and Sarett Nature Center.
The Michigan Lakes and Streams Association was one of three local organizations that helped four Kalamazoo College students earn environmental internships this fall.
“The students I’ve talked to said they’ve wanted to get an internship before, they just weren’t sure how to make it fit in their academic plan,” she said. “But when this class came up it fit well and it matched their class schedule. It was a challenge for them to figure out how to work virtually, and some of them felt a little lost at first, yet they gained the skills they needed to figure it out. I think that will help them in their classes and future jobs, especially if they have virtual components.”
Amanda Dow, a biology major, worked with Melissa DeSimone, the executive director of the Michigan Lakes and Streams Association (MLSA), which is a statewide nonprofit that unites individuals; lake, stream and watershed associations; organizations; and corporations that share an interest the preserving inland lakes and streams for generations to come. Her work experience included writing newsletter articles highlighting the organization’s virtual convention this year, contributing to its printed articles, and reformatting and updating several brochures.
“I have a background in writing so this was a good chance for me to practice in different mediums,” Dow said. “I wrote a review of the convention sessions along with a biography of myself for the newsletter. They also come out with a newspaper and the biggest chunk of my internship went to updating and reformatting their brochures. It helped a lot that when I first got there I could choose what I wanted to do.”
Asylum Lake served as a socially-distanced meeting point for Amanda Dow ’22 and Melissa DeSimone, the executive director of the Michigan Lakes and Streams Association, as Dow served in a virtual internship.
Andrew Wright, a German and biology major, said he felt a little directionless with where he wanted to apply his majors professionally after graduation, until he interned with the Kalamazoo River Watershed Council. The organization aims to protect, preserve and promote the Kalamazoo River and its tributaries for current area residents and future generations.
“Through developing a new interactive digital dashboard with the Kalamazoo River Watershed Council members, my work will help users see the different types of chemical contaminants in the Kalamazoo area and how they affect the types of fish here,” Wright said. “Following the motto of the Watershed, we want to make that information as accessible as possible so people can learn how their communities’ ecosystems have been impacted. The Kalamazoo River has unfortunately suffered its fair share of PCB runoff from paper mills and oil spills, and we want to create ways for people to be knowledgeable and be mindful of how we affect our surrounding environments.”
Natalie Barber, a biology major and psychology minor, joined Wright in working for the Kalamazoo River Watershed Council. She researched fresh water mussels, which filter small organic particles such as bacteria and algae out of lakes and streams, naturally purifying them. Part of that environmental research involved interviewing Daelyn Woolnough, a Central Michigan University biology faculty member and freshwater mussels expert, leading to website content and social media posts for the watershed council.
Asylum Lake in Kalamazoo served as a socially-distanced meeting point for Amanda Dow ’22 and her internship supervisor this fall.
With K’s academic schedule, it was important to Barber that she could undertake the internship as a part of her term and she hopes more students at the College will have the same opportunity.
“It’s important we know the effects of global warming and climate change and how they threaten mussels,” Barber said. “We especially have those threats in Kalamazoo because we had the paper mills that put all the PCBs in the water, plus we had the 2010 oil spill. Just knowing about those bigger issues, and also the lesser-known issues like invasive species, which is a big deal to freshwater mussels. Things the general public might not realize are such a big deal like moving boats from lake to lake without cleaning them, that’s important information we should share so we can protect the organisms within our areas. I felt like I was doing something positive toward my career goals. I think these internships should be offered every term because I thought mine was that useful.”
To conclude the class and their environmental internships, each student provided a final visual presentation with screenshots and pictures from their projects. Stockwood said students each had about three minutes to present what they did, what they learned and why it matters.
“They took it very seriously and it was fun because the students didn’t fully know what everybody else was doing,” she said. “They found a lot of similarities in their experiences over time with being lost in the beginning, independently working and having some ownership by the second half of their projects. I hope something like this will continue. It’s important to recognize that it’s not study abroad, but I think the experience was valuable, and I think the students feel it was valuable, too.”
Jonah Bolton ’21 guided Building Blocks volunteers at worksites this summer in Kalamazoo. Bolton was an intern, taking on roles as a volunteer coordinator and construction facilitator.
Through the departmental partnership, another group of qualified students worked at local organizations from AACORN Farms to the YWCA in Community Building Internships. The positions, offered each year, lasted about six to eight weeks, and interns were on the job for 30 to 40 hours a week while earning a $4,000 stipend.
Bolton, a political science and international area studies double major with a focus on Latin America, worked with Building Blocks of Kalamazoo, an organization originally founded in 1995 through a sociology course at Kalamazoo College offered by Professor Emeritus Kim Cummings.
Upon its founding, the organization wanted to provide community organizing experience for students while supporting the efforts of neighborhood associations in low- to medium-income neighborhoods. Bolton followed that mission by working as a volunteer coordinator and performing roles similar to a construction facilitator, helping to coordinate home improvement projects and expanding the organization’s bandwidth in Kalamazoo’s Northside neighborhood.
Jonah Bolton ’21 said his favorite part of his Building Blocks internship this summer was connecting communities with volunteers.
“Our guiding philosophy at Building Blocks is that we empower residents to do community building themselves, whether that’s to improve a yard, plant flowers or pursue neighborhood cleanups,” Bolton said. “They hadn’t done a lot of construction recently. But I’ve taken on the role as the new liaison on the Northside, where Building Blocks hadn’t done any programming for a couple of years.”
In summer 2018, Bolton worked with the Appalachia Service Project evaluating a home’s renovation needs as a volunteer coordinator. He also obtained experience as a volunteer organizer through First United Methodist Church in Kalamazoo where his mom, Julie Kline, serves as the senior pastor. Bolton then transferred that experience into what he did with Building Blocks, allowing the organization to pursue projects that benefited homeowners who couldn’t pursue projects themselves. Projects included securing porches and hand rails, replacing treads leading to a porch, painting, replacing windows and even fixing bullet holes in doors.
In Bolton’s words, the volunteers repaired the violence and the trauma that had been at houses as they created connections between volunteers and residents.
Building Blocks “was running into problems we don’t necessarily find in other areas of Kalamazoo, where we encounter people who are disabled or can’t work on their own homes,” Bolton said. “That’s when we started bringing in volunteers from different churches in the area. I have connections with the churches and that’s the model I’ve been developing.”
Most of the time, Bolton was preparing for a job the volunteers would tackle on the following Saturday, figuring out what projects would be done, which volunteers were available, and what materials and tools were needed. Others in the organization rarely were available to address such issues, making Bolton a valued asset.
The following Saturday, Bolton took the volunteers around the worksites, gave them a breakdown of what they were doing at each site and connected them with neighborhood residents.
“That’s my favorite thing: Creating connections between these volunteers who might attend a primarily white church and those who can give first-hand witness to some of the effects of systemic racism in our neighborhoods,” he said. “I see that in our introductions and casual conversations, and we push for that community interaction.”
Going into these projects, Bolton was hoping for a career pursuing political science on a global scale. Now he’s not so sure.
“I’ve been studying politics and international studies and these larger scale things,” he said. “But I’ve been having such a good experience learning how to engage in local politics and work in my local community, it feels so much more tangible. I can see what I’m doing and I really like that. I learn so much from all the residents.”
Regardless of what he chooses, Bolton’s experience at Building Blocks came as a blessing in disguise.
“When we applied for these internships, I applied for several, although Building Blocks wasn’t one of them,” he said. “I didn’t even know what it was. I applied for all these other internships and Building Blocks found me, and asked me to be a part of their team. For Building Blocks to turn out to be such a wonderful thing for me was a blessing. I’m proud of that organization because it’s been devoted to justice even with the pandemic. To not be stagnant in this time is very cool to me.”
Center for Career and Professional Development staffers remain available to students during distance learning thanks to their virtual operations. The staffers pictured in a recent meeting are Assistant Director of Experiential Opportunities Richard Sylvester (clockwise from top left), Assistant Director Jacqueline Srodes, Interim Associate Director Rachel B. Wood and Interim Director Valerie Miller.
Students concerned about facing the current job market can rest assured that a plan for virtual operations will keep Kalamazoo College’s Center for Career and Professional Development open for business this spring. Those virtual operations, though, will be different from business as usual, addressing the unique challenges of seeking a job amidst a global pandemic.
“We know that most of our students are not going to be thinking about career development at this time,” Interim Director Valerie Miller said. “There are too many other issues that they are facing. How can we ask them to care about updating their résumé or practicing interview skills with all that is on their minds?”
Those issues are why the CCPD will take a Design Thinking approach to career planning this term. Design Thinking, created by Stanford University’s Plattner Institute of Design, focuses on addressing “wicked problems,” which are problems that might seem impossible to solve. Those problems might include, for example, what arises with a search during a global pandemic.
“Professors at Stanford have been offering a course called Designing Your Life for years, and recently published a book with the same title that includes many of the tools and concepts from their course,” Miller said. “We are using this book and other resources to share useful information around Design Thinking and career planning with students. This is primarily a communication strategy that seeks to provide support as well as relevant content and resources.”
With that strategy, Interim Associate Director Rachel B. Wood will send students an email framing what they can expect from the upcoming week. Plus, she will post content to the department’s Facebook and Instagram accounts each day with the themes of Monday Motivation, Tuesday Tips and Tools, Wednesday Watch and Listen, Thursday To-Dos and Friday Focus: Design Thinking.
If those messages feel comfortable and familiar to students, it might be because they promote CCPD services that continue to provide excellent employment outcomes. Those services include:
Career coaching. Staff provide students with guidance regarding their majors, grad school opportunities and career assessments. Appointments may be scheduled through the online tool Handshake.
Virtual events and workshops. Students will connect with alumni and network through Wisr, a web platform designed for higher-education institutions to promote digital communities. Speaker events, including the annual Confident at Commencement series, and a collection of new events, including virtual recruiting events, will be available.
Advice from alumni and local leaders. This term, that will come through a new podcast called Career-ish, hosted by Assistant Director of Experiential Opportunities Richard Sylvester, and recorded content and presentations from staff and alumni.
“Our students are facing many wicked problems as they move forward in the world, and we thought it would be useful to us and to them to provide a framework they can use to tackle these problems,” Miller said.
That framework is available to students simply by reaching out this term. Contact the CCPD through email at career@kzoo.edu.
A fortunate pairing of four people with Kalamazoo College ties provided one student with a valuable internship experience last summer in Washington, D.C.
Marie Kohrman ’22 had her picture taken with a re-enactor playing John Hancock last summer at the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C., where she had an internship.
Marie Kohrman ’22 was an intern at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), a home for more than 20 billion documents related to the federal government throughout U.S. history. There, she worked for K alumna Christiana Hanson ’06, a volunteer coordinator, and stayed with Genna (Beaudoin) Gent ’94 and Chad Gent ’92 from June through August.
Kohrman, who majors in English with a concentration in American studies, was one of 15 interns selected from 95 applicants to work at NARA after her love of museums and history and a desire to find constructive opportunities over the summer converged.
“My parents had been talking to me for a while about finding an internship, and I’m a person who needs to stay busy,” Kohrman said of her decision to apply. Students apply for internships through Handshake, a platform available through the Center for Career and Professional Development. “I had no idea my boss would be a K alum.”
Marie Kohrman ’22 (third from left in front) poses for a picture with her fellow interns at the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C.
Hanson said NARA tries not to select interns based on where they attend college, although she was happy to meet a student from her alma mater and was delighted with Kohrman’s work.
“One of the things about K, is that it offers a very strong liberal arts education,” Hanson said. “At the National Archives, we have records that show science, history, civics — no one thing happens in isolation. Because (Kohrman) is a student of the liberal arts, we knew that this would be something she would understand.”
NARA typically hires interns to serve its Washington, D.C., departments ranging from presidential libraries to special events. Kohrman worked with other education and exhibits interns, who are interested in fields related to public education, museum studies, public policy, history, political science and communication.
“I really like the fact that working at a museum, you have a responsibility for how people interpret art and history,” Kohrman said. “Museums are focused on facts. It’s important to portray them in an unbiased way.”
In creating a hands-on environment for its interns, NARA tasked Kohrman with creating a game that would help visitors understand the Legislative Branch of the federal government. She created a flow chart that broke down the Legislative Branch, describing the requirements House of Representatives and Senate candidates need to follow to run for office and be elected. She paired that with Constitutional excerpts and documents from U.S. history to provide specific examples of how Congress functions. For example, Kohrman used:
A copy of a 1941 letter from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Congress regarding Japan to highlight Congress’s ability to declare war.
A political cartoon about taxes from Clifford Kennedy Berryman, a Pulitzer Prize winner, to show Congress’s power to collect taxes.
A picture of President Reagan and then-Supreme Court candidate Sandra Day O’Connor, along with a nomination letter Reagan penned to the Senate, reflecting the Senate’s ability to confirm justices.
Kohrman also assisted NARA with its biggest event of the year, a Fourth of July celebration that welcomed thousands of visitors from all over the world with re-enactors portraying founding fathers, a fife-and-drum corps and activities related to the time of the Revolutionary War. It was an event that suited Kohrman’s strengths well, Hanson said.
“Marie is a very strong personality and I mean that in the best of ways,” Hanson said. “She’s bubbly with the public, she worked very well with school groups and she had great conversations with adults. We’re subject to the Hatch Act, so we want to make sure anyone, regardless of any political affiliation, would feel comfortable here. We have to be neutral and Marie was very thoughtful about how she did that.”
Kohrman noted she accepted the internship earlier than most students would, considering she had barely finished her first year at K and was just 19 when she left for Washington, D.C. Regardless, she’s glad she followed her heart and pursued it because it cemented her desire to pursue a museum career.
“If you want it, go for it,” said Kohrman, regarding the advice she’d give her peers who are interested in internships. “If you don’t get the first one you apply for, find another one. Don’t be afraid and think you won’t get it. I think internships are important because they can help students learn whether a given field is truly for them.”
Zhang Financial, one of the nation’s top fee-only financial advisory firms, will help Kalamazoo College support key initiatives in its strategic plan, Advancing Kalamazoo College: A Strategic Vision for 2023. Their generous contribution will help to better position K students for their first jobs after graduation.
Charles Zhang serves as managing partner and CEO, and Lynn Chen-Zhang is the COO and chief compliance officer at Zhang Financial.
Zhang Financial, based in Portage, Michigan, is establishing the Zhang Financial Student Professional Development Fund, a permanent endowment that will underwrite campus-based programs to enhance student experiences and prioritize their professional development.
Some of those programs, coordinated through the Center for Career and Professional Development, include:
K’s annual Career Summit, which offers two days of interactive breakout sessions, themed panel discussions and networking opportunities with distinguished alumni and other professionals. This annual event, traditionally held in April, provides students of all majors with priceless information about how to position themselves for success in an unpredictable global job market.
Passions to Professions, which allows small groups of interested students to connect with local and visiting professionals over a casual meal to ask career-related questions.
Confident at Commencement, a weekly lunch series that delivers relevant content, from saving and investing to taxes and salary negotiations. This event caters to seniors as they prepare for Life after K.
Sophomore Retreats, which helps students in their second year at K develop public speaking and networking skills during a weekend with alumni and community professionals.
Collectively, these and other programs reinforce K’s strategic vision and its mission of preparing graduates to better understand, live successfully within, and provide enlightened leadership to a richly diverse and increasingly complex world.
“We are grateful to Zhang Financial for this contribution, which will help Kalamazoo College continue to provide students with amazing opportunities to develop their skills, experiences and future careers,” Kalamazoo College President Jorge G. Gonzalez said. “We are excited and honored by their trust and confidence in our efforts to provide a broad-based education through the liberal arts and sciences.”
Charles Zhang serves as managing partner and CEO, and Lynn Chen-Zhang is the COO and chief compliance officer at Zhang Financial.
“The professional landscape is dynamic—companies are constantly searching for candidates who contribute new skills, and who can adapt to an evolving workplace,” they said. “We are excited for the competitive advantage that The Zhang Financial Student Professional Development Fund will offer Kalamazoo College students.”
A distinguished group of Kalamazoo College alumni will provide students with two days of practical workforce preparation April 12 and 13 during Career Summit 2019. All students are welcome and encouraged to attend this special event targeting positive employment outcomes through the Center for Career and Professional Development.
Shelby Hopper ’18 introduces ClozeLoop Managing Director Hilmon Sorey (from left), Loparex Global Vice President for Research and Development Ed Hortelano ’83, retired Google Superintendent of Well-Being Bill Duane ’94 and Depot Global Inc. Co-Founder and Executive Vice President Lindsey Haswell during Career Summit 2018. Career Summit 2019 is scheduled for April 12 and 13 at the Hicks Student Center.
Through interactive break-out sessions, themed panel discussions and networking opportunities, students of all majors will gain priceless information about the global job market. All Career Summit events will be at the Hicks Student Center on campus to ensure as many students as possible may participate.
The scheduled speakers for Career Summit 2019 are:
Students may register for Career Summit 2019 through Handshake. Contact Kristy Carlson at kristy.carlson@kzoo.edu or 269.337.7183 for more information or assistance in registering.
As global cyber threats target U.S. businesses and the government, organizations such as the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace respond, and so will Natalie Thompson ’19.
Natalie Thompson ’19 will help the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace respond to global cyber threats.
Thompson, a math and political science double major from West Olive, Michigan, is the first Kalamazoo College student to earn a James C. Gaither Junior Fellowship. Each year, Carnegie chooses about a dozen graduating seniors or recent grads from a pool of several hundred nominees to serve as junior fellows. The junior fellows work with Carnegie’s senior scholars for one year in Washington, D.C., to conduct research for books, co-author journal articles and policy papers, participate in meetings with high-level officials, contribute to congressional testimony and organize briefings attended by scholars, journalists and government officials.
An ‘Unparalleled Opportunity’
Beginning Aug. 1, Thompson will work in Carnegie’s Cyber Policy Initiative, run through its Technology and International Affairs Program, to promote technology while reducing or eliminating cyber threats that could harm the country’s financial stability, data and transaction integrity, and communication chains.
Students applying for the fellowship are first nominated by their institution and prepare statements of interest and issue-specific essays for their program of interest. Carnegie selects about three or four students to interview for each position and must demonstrate some knowledge of and passion for their focus topic. Plus, according to its website, Carnegie selects only the top 5 percent of its applicants each year for junior fellowships with students.
“I think it’s an unparalleled opportunity,” said Thompson, who added this is just the second year K has been a nominating institution for the fellowship. “Think tanks and nonprofits in Washington, D.C., like Carnegie often prefer employees with several years of work experience or a master’s degree in their field in research positions like these. I hope to take my undergraduate degree and the great writing and research skills I learned at K and transfer them into policy expertise. It’s difficult to describe how exciting it is for me and I hope it’s exciting for the College.”
Before they graduate from K, students including Thompson complete a senior individualized project (SIP), serving as a capstone to their educations in the liberal arts and sciences. Anne Dueweke, K’s director of grants, fellowships and research, who serves as the College’s nominating official for the fellowship, said Thompson’s SIP, about media technologies and their impact on public deliberation, probably factored into Carnegie’s decision to select her.
“I think her SIP certainly had something to do with it along with other experiences in which she has been able to develop her research skills,” Dueweke said. “But Natalie really stands out in her intellectual curiosity. She is incredibly well read and engaged in the topic of cybersecurity, and on many related topics as well. She is also a very sophisticated thinker and writer. The Gaither Fellowship is a perfect fit for her.”
Global Cyber Threats on the Rise
As an example of the cyber threats she might address as a fellow, Thompson described “deepfakes.” Deepfakes are an artificial intelligence-based technology that produce or alter video or audio to convincingly present something that didn’t occur. Video and audio manipulation techniques are not new, but technological advances have made the manipulations more convincing. Usually this means criminals or hackers fool the public into believing a famous influencer, business executive or politician said something they never did. She could explore what such a tactic means for government intelligence connections, diplomatic relations and state-to-state hacking.
State-to-state hacking concerns also have escalated in recent weeks because of China’s government and how it allegedly spies on U.S. businesses. National Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Department officials brought to light some of those issues this month at a cybersecurity conference, as reported through the Washington Post.
As a result, “what policies will we need to consider?” Thompson asked. “Could there be diplomatic, legal or military responses? Right now, we don’t have clear policy standards or regulations for what to do in these situations.”
Thompson said she’s comfortable in Washington, D.C., as she was among K’s first students to study away there through an internship with Whitmer & Worrall, a bipartisan government relations and strategic consulting firm. However, several K faculty and staff members were instrumental in encouraging her to seek the fellowship. Those influencers included Dueweke, Luce Professor of Complex Systems Studies Peter Erdi, and Kalamazoo College’s Political Science Department.
“Dr. [Jennifer] Einsphar especially has been a tireless mentor for me during my time at K,” said Thompson of the associate professor of political science. “We’ve had so many conversations. She’s an incredible scholar and I’ve loved her courses. Dr. Erdi has also been a tireless advocate for me. He encouraged me to combine hard science and social science, and helped me think from an interdisciplinary perspective.”
Learn more about the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the James C. Gaither Junior Fellowship through the organization’s website.
Thirty students known for their invaluable contributions to the Kalamazoo College community were honored Friday at the 15th annual Senior Leadership Recognition Awards.
Thirty students known for their invaluable contributions to the Kalamazoo College community were honored Friday at the 15th annual Senior Leadership Recognition Awards. They were (top row, from left) Ian McKnight, Max Aulbach, Alexander Cadigan and Allen Vinson; (second row, from left), Emma Eisenbeis, Nicholas Ludka, Ian Freshwater, Sabrina Leddy, Zach Morales and Jacob Bonifacio; (third row, from left) Marco Ponce, Lauren Arquette, Sarah George, Hannah Meyers and Jordan Wiley; (fourth row, from left) Anthony Diep Rosas, Regina Shaw, Shivani Rana and Qynce Chumley; and (bottom row, from left) Sharat Kamath, Cydney Martell, Hayleigh Alamo, Nkatha Mwenda, Cecilia Ringo and Molly Brueger. Winners not pictured include Tapiwa Chikungwa, Joy Lim, Amanda Moss, Sharif Shaker and JayLashay Young.
The selection committee, consisting of Associate Deans of Students Karen Joshua-Wathel and Dana Jansma, asked faculty and staff through a letter in December to nominate students, while noting an exemplary nominee isn’t necessarily the “team captain” or “organization president.”
“The individual may be the person who always seems to have a positive attitude, is consistently involved in helping a group move forward, serves as a continual role model to other students, and who shows dedication, even in times of adversity,” the letter said.
The Senior Leadership Recognition Award winners represent talented athletes, outstanding academic performers, members of the President’s Student Ambassadors and student-organization standouts.
Here are the honorees along with brief statements from their nominators:
Hayleigh Alamo, nominated by Softball Coach Kelli Duimstra:
“Hayleigh is a third-year softball team captain, which speaks to her natural leadership ability and how much her teammates look up to her. … She is the person who connects every person on our team.”
Lauren Arquette, nominated by Assistant Professor of Political Science Justin Berry:
“Lauren is one of the strongest students with whom I’ve had the opportunity to work.”
Max Aulbach, nominated by Assistant Professor of Political Science Justin Berry:
“Max is a very strong and committed student. … The regularity and quality of his contributions to classroom discussions are unmatched.”
Jacob Bonifacio, nominated by Men’s Lacrosse Coach Vince Redko:
“More than any other player, I can rely on Jake to do the right thing and encourage others to be their best.”
Molly Brueger, nominated by Women’s Soccer Coach Bryan Goyings and Wen Chao Chen Associate Professor of East Asian Social Sciences Dennis Frost:
“Molly is an exceptional individual excelling in the classroom, on the soccer field and internationally. She is diligent, generous, intelligent, selfless and kind.”
Alexander Cadigan, nominated by Computer Science Chair Alyce Brady, Computer Science Associate Professor Pam Cutter and Men’s Tennis Coach Mark Riley:
“K is a better place because of Alex’s leadership as a [resident assistant], a [teaching assistant] in computer science, and as a mentor.”
Tapiwa Chikungwa, nominated by Residential Life Area Coordinator Erika Perry, and Alison Geist, Teresa Denton, Moises Hernandez and Emily Kowey of the Center for Civic Engagement:
“As a third-year [resident assistant], Tapiwa’s contributions have been invaluable. … Her authentic servant leadership has been an incredible asset. … As a Civic Engagement Scholar, she brings deeply informed and compassionate perspectives.”
“The scope of Qynce’s mentoring, leadership and initiative is notable, … a distinct example of living an authentic, undaunted existence.”
Anthony Diep Rosas, nominated by Dow Distinguished Professor in the Natural Sciences Jan Tobochnik (physics) and Residential Life Area Coordinator Ashley Knapp:
“He uses his position to advocate for those without a voice.”
“Emma’s combination of quiet confidence and a genuine desire to help others has enabled her to effectively lead a diverse group of peers as president of [the Kalamazoo College Council of Student Representatives].”
Ian Freshwater, nominated by Assistant Dean of Students Brian Dietz:
“Ian has done fantastic work serving on student government since his first year and has taken on key roles throughout.”
Sarah George, nominated by Women’s Soccer Coach Bryan Goyings:
“Sarah is an extraordinary individual excelling at K in the classroom, on the soccer field and in the community.”
Sharat Kamath, nominated by Chief Information Officer Greg Diment, Kalamazoo College Fund Associate Director Sandy Dugal, and Alison Geist, Teresa Denton, Moises Hernandez and Emily Kowey of the Center for Civic Engagement:
“He works respectfully to build a more accepting, inclusive community.”
Sabrina Leddy, nominated by Chemistry Professor Regina Stevens-Truss:
“Sabrina has been a leader/mentor of the [American Chemical Society] student group since her sophomore year.”
Joy Lim, nominated by Study Abroad Adviser Alayna Lewis:
“Joy stands out as a leader, from the roles she has held to the manner in which she conducts herself and encourages others.”
Nicholas Ludka, nominated by Men’s Golf Coach Mitch Wilson:
“Nick is one of the top ambassadors for K and the [Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) ]. … He’s a two-time co-captain of the golf team and will finish his career as one of the top three Hornet golfers of all time.”
Cydney Martell, nominated by Interim Provost Laura Furge:
“A highly gifted scientist. … Simply the best combination possible of compassion, empathy, kindness, ability and intelligence.”
Ian McKnight, nominated by Assistant Professor of Political Science Justin Berry, Residential Life Area Coordinator Erika Perry, Assistant Dean of Students Brian Dietz and Kalamazoo College Fund Associate Director Sandy Dugal:
“What makes Ian stand out beyond being a strong student is the degree to which he commits not only to his personal growth, but also the broader community.”
Hannah Meyers, nominated by Women’s Lacrosse Coach Jessica Smith:
“Hannah is a two-year captain of the lacrosse team and a fantastic leader…she is the first player to offer assistance to younger players on and off the field.”
Zachary Morales, nominated by Men’s Lacrosse Coach Vince Redko:
“He has been instrumental in launching lacrosse at the College and he was our first All-MIAA selection in program history.”
Amanda Moss, nominated by L. Lee Stryker Associate Professor of Business Management Amy MacMillan, Women’s Basketball Coach Katie Miller and Women’s Lacrosse Coach Jessica Smith:
“Amanda is a dedicated leader in the classroom, on the basketball court, on the lacrosse field, and in the community. … She co-founded Sports Business Club. … She is a tenacious go-getter who sets an example of excellence for other students.”
Nkatha Mwenda, nominated by Biology Assistant Professor Anne Engh and Kalamazoo College Fund Associate Director Sandy Dugal:
“She embodies the sort of inclusive, cooperative leadership that we need in the world.”
Marco Ponce, nominated by Biology Professor Ann Fraser:
“Marco demonstrates commitment, fortitude and perseverance in all that he does. … He is gifted and the longest serving research assistant I had over my 16 years at the College.”
Shivani Rana, nominated by Assistant Dean of Students Brian Dietz:
“Shivani always comes to the table with a positive disposition, a genuine care for others, and a strong desire to make things better.”
“While always acting with integrity, she found ways to encourage others to expand their thinking and learn more about themselves.”
Sharif Shaker, nominated by Computer Science Chair Alyce Brady, Computer Science Associate Professor Pam Cutter, Swimming and Diving Coach Jay Daniels and Kalamazoo College Fund Associate Director Sandy Dugal:
“Sharif sets an example of dedicated and self-motivated learning … He is bright and is among the best writers we’ve ever seen.”
“Regina is a professional, thoughtful student leader and our entire career development team appreciates her positive demeanor, facilitation skills, and willingness to represent the department.”
Allen Vinson, nominated by Men’s Tennis Coach Mark Riley:
“Allen pushes his teammates to do the little things to be outstanding student athletes.”
Jordan Wiley, nominated by Baseball Coach Michael Ott and Kalamazoo College Fund Associate Director Sandy Dugal:
“Jordan had flourished and become one of our top academic, athletic and leadership examples we have in the baseball program. … As a President’s Student Ambassador, he is gracious and possesses an outstanding attitude.”
JayLashay Young, nominated by Assistant Dean of Students Brian Dietz:
“Jay is the epitome of the type of enlightened leaders we hope all K graduates become. … She created the Kalamazoo Dance Team and is a leader in student activities. … She is a unique combination of dedication, perseverance and optimism.”
